1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mailboxes, primarily rural mailboxes, and to a signaling device for usual mailboxes for indicating that mail has been delivered to and placed in the mailbox. More particularly the invention relates to a signaling device which may be visible for inspection from a considerable distance, and which indicates the presence of delivered mail in the mailbox, to avoid unnecessary trips to the mailbox to determine whether mail has been delivered.
Further, the invention relates to a mail delivery-indicating signaling device associated with a mailbox which has its signal, when in signaling position, visible from either side of or from the front or rear of the mailbox.
In addition, the invention relates to a mail delivery-indicating signaling device associated with the mailbox door which device must be actuated by the mailman to indicate mail delivery, before the mailman opens the mailbox door to deposit mail in the mailbox.
Also, the invention relates to a mail delivery-indicating signaling device which may be incorporated in a new mailbox, or may be attached to existing mailboxes.
Finally, the invention relates to a mailbox signaling device associated with the mailbox door which device is not actuated to signaling position if the mailman opens the mailbox door merely or only for the purpose of removing mail from the mailbox that is present in the mailbox to be picked up.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of examples in the prior art of signaling devices intended to indicate that mail is to be picked up from the box, or that mail has been delivered to the box, or both. However, all prior art of which I am aware involves actuation of the signaling device indicating mail delivery, as a result of opening movement of the mailbox door, such door movement releases the signaling device for movement to signaling position. Thus, an incorrect mail delivery signal is given if the mailbox door has been opened only to pick up mail present in the mailbox for pickup. This problem is inherent in mailboxes provided with signaling devices which are actuated or released or otherwise moved to signaling position as a result of opening movement of the mailbox door.
Examples of such prior mailbox signaling devices occur in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,363,439, 4,382,542, 2,639,856, 4,182,479 and 2,988,268. Some of these state of the art patent disclosures are impractical because their signal flags or indicators are so small and are located in such position when signaling that they may only be seen when signaling at a close range and from a limited viewing location.
Accordingly, there long has been a need existing in the art for a mailbox mail delivery signaling device which does not give incorrect signals, and is reliable, accurate and readily visible when in a signaling mode, from a viewing station at a considerable distance, and at almost any location around the mailbox, and gives a signal that mail has been deposited by the mailman in the mailbox, in which such signaling device must be actuated by the mailman before opening the mailbox door, and also in which the signaling device may be incorporated in new mailboxes, or added to existing mailboxes in a simple, inexpensive and reliable manner.